Canal du Midi, Waterway network in Toulouse, France
The Canal du Midi extends 241 kilometers from Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea, featuring 63 locks and numerous bridges along its path.
Pierre-Paul Riquet designed and supervised the construction of this engineering feat from 1666 to 1681, employing over 12,000 workers to complete the project.
The canal received UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996, recognizing its influence on maritime commerce between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Visitors can navigate the canal from March through November, with rental boats available at multiple locations for self-guided exploration of the waterway.
The water supply system includes the Saint-Ferréol reservoir and a network of channels from the Black Mountain that maintain consistent water levels.
Location: Toulouse
Location: Ramonville-Saint-Agne
Location: Auzeville-Tolosane
Location: Castanet-Tolosan
Location: Péchabou
Location: Pompertuzat
Location: Deyme
Location: Donneville
Location: Montgiscard
Location: Ayguesvives
Location: Montesquieu-Lauragais
Location: Vieillevigne
Location: Saint-Rome
Location: Gardouch
Location: Renneville
Location: Avignonet-Lauragais
Location: Montferrand
Location: Labastide-d'Anjou
Location: Mas-Saintes-Puelles
Location: Castelnaudary
Location: Saint-Martin-Lalande
Location: Lasbordes
Location: Pexiora
Location: Villepinte
Location: Bram
Location: Alzonne
Location: Montréal
Location: Sainte-Eulalie
Location: Villesèquelande
Location: Caux-et-Sauzens
Location: Pezens
Location: Carcassonne
Location: Villemoustaussou
Location: Villalier
Location: Villedubert
Location: Trèbes
Location: Marseillette
Location: Blomac
Location: Puichéric
Location: La Redorte
Location: Azille
Location: Homps
Location: Olonzac
Location: Argens-Minervois
Location: Roubia
Location: Paraza
Location: Ventenac-en-Minervois
Location: Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude
Location: Ginestas
Location: Mirepeisset
Location: Sallèles-d'Aude
Location: Ouveillan
Location: Argeliers
Location: Cruzy
Location: Quarante
Location: Capestang
Location: Poilhes
Location: Nissan-lez-Enserune
Location: Colombiers
Location: Béziers
Location: Villeneuve-lès-Béziers
Location: Cers
Location: Portiragnes
Location: Vias
Location: Agde
Location: Marseillan
Official opening: May 15, 1681
Elevation above the sea: 0 m
Part of: Canal des Deux-Mers
Address: Canal du Midi, France 34420
GPS coordinates: 43.61111,1.41833
Latest update: September 15, 2025 17:43
Toulouse presents a network of historical buildings, museums and squares. The city features the Capitole as administrative center, the Romanesque Basilica Saint-Sernin, several art museums and the Canal du Midi. Parks, bridges across the Garonne and science centers complete the cultural offerings.
The region around Carcassonne features an area marked by medieval and Cathar history, with castles, abbeys, and old villages. The Cité of Carcassonne displays its city walls restored in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, while the Canal du Midi has traversed the region for 240 kilometers since the 17th century. The castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse overlook the landscape from their rocky spurs at over 700 meters above sea level, serving as the last strongholds of the Cathar resistance in the 13th century. Villages like Minerve and Lagrasse showcase medieval architecture, with narrow streets, ancient bridges, and Benedictine abbeys. The region also includes the four Lastours castles aligned along a ridge, the Saint-Maurice Cathedral in Mirepoix with its 22-meter-wide Gothic nave, and natural sites like Lake Cavayère. These monuments and landscapes form a representative ensemble of the south of France’s historical and natural heritage, accessible from Carcassonne.
Cité de Carcassonne
88.7 km
Basilica of St. Sernin
1.9 km
Capitole de Toulouse
2.2 km
Place du Capitole
2.2 km
Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
52.7 km
City of Space
6.6 km
Gare de Toulouse-Matabiau
2.8 km
Toulouse Cathedral
2.9 km
Téléo
6.4 km
Muséum de Toulouse
3.2 km
Fonseranes Lock
147.2 km
Monastery of the Jacobins
1.9 km
Oppidum d'Ensérune
140.8 km
Musée des Augustins
2.5 km
Seuil de Naurouze
43.4 km
Château comtal de Carcassonne
88.7 km
Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park
109.1 km
Le Bikini
8.8 km
Halle de la machine
6.4 km
Pic de Nore
86.8 km
Canal des Deux-Mers
59.7 km
Fort de Brescou
172.8 km
Hôtel d'Assézat
2.3 km
Gorges d'Héric
124.6 km
Béziers Cathedral
147.8 km
Canal de la Robine
131.2 km
Châteaux de Lastours
83.4 km
Basilica of St. Nazaire and St. Celse
88.7 kmReviews
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